Device for holding and moving forward pre-burned electrodes



Oct. 16, 1962 K. ZAGER ETAL. 3,059,039

DEVICE FOR HOLDING AND MOVING FORWARD PRE-BURNED ELECTRODES Filed March 17', 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VE N T 0/? 5 KURT ZAGER a: ALFRED RUMBERG TIE/R A TTOR/VEYS Oct. 16, 1962 Filed March 17, 1959 K. ZAGER ETAL DEVICE FOR HOLDING AND MOVING FORWARD PRE-BURNED ELECTRODES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

. II I l I l 10 L J INVENTORS: KURT 24 5mm ALFRED RUN/BERG THE IR 4 TTORNEYS United States Patent 0 3,059,039 DEVICE FOR HOLDING AND MOVING FORWARD PRE-BURNED ELECTRODES Kurt Zager, Koln, and Alfred Rumberg, Hermulheim, near Koln, Germany, assignors to Knapsack-Griesheim Aktiengesellsclraft, Knapsack, near Koln, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Mar. 17, 1959, Ser. No. 799,929 Claims priority, application Germany Mar. 22, 1958 3 Claims. (Cl. 13-16) The present invention relates to a device for holding and moving forward pre-burnt electrodes, and more particularly pre-burnt untreated electrodes.

A device for holding and moving forward electrodes in electric furnaces is known which comprises at least three groups of lifting and supporting means, two of which are each capable of bearing the weight of the whole electrode and both of which are arranged independently of the current supply means. The lifting and supporting means are arranged at a yoke or a yoke-like mechanism which itself is operated by another lifting device that controls the position of the electrode in accordance with the electric conditions desired in the furnace.

In this device, the said lifting and supporting means may be detachably connected with the electrodes by means of nuts welded on the inner side of the electrode shells and by means of screws. A device of this kind is particularly suitable for electrodes which have not been pro-burnt and which are provided with an electrode shell.

In a further variant of said known device, the electrodes are positively held by a supporting ring which comprises several sections detachably fixed together and which rests on brackets of the lifting and supporting means. The electrode sections may be provided with annular clearances, the diameter and profiling of which correspond to the inner circumference of the supporting ring. It is likewise possible to provide the electrode sections with holes arranged in radial direction and distributed on the circumference and to supply the supporting ring with corresponding through bores, the positive connection of the supporting ring with the electrode section being ensured by supporting pins disposed in the holes of the supporting ring and projecting into the holes of the electrode section. A device of this type is particularly suitable for the use of pre-burnt and treated electrodes.

Experiments have shown that the said device can be so modified that it can surprisingly also be used for preburnt untreated electrodes. Thus, the necessary and uneconomical pre-treatment of the pre-burnt electrodes can be dispensed with.

By lifting and supporting means are to be understood in the following description devices by which the electrodes are lifted and lowered and simultaneously kept and carried in a certain height. As lifting and supporting means of this kind there may be used mechanical, electric, pneumatic and especially hydraulic means.

In the device according to the invention for holding and moving forward pre-burnt electrodes, and more particularly pre-burnt, untreated electrodes, in electric furnaces, the electrodes are tensionally held by a supporting ring which comprises several parts detachably fixed together, which ring rests on brackets of the lifting and supporting means.

The tensional connection of the electrode with the supporting ring is produced by means of cotters.

A first set of cotters transfers the weight of the electrode to the supporting ring while a second set of cotters which is arranged in opposite position to the first set is capable of transmitting opposed forces from the supporting ring to the electrode.

The adjustment of the fastening device to the electrodes, which are in general non uniform due to their process of manufacture, is rendered possible by the fact that each cotter can be individually adjusted and fixed with respect to the supporting device.

The surfaces of the cotters being in close contact with the surface of the electrode may be roughened, for example provided with grooves. The inserted cotters can be held by fishplates which press on the broad back ends, said fishplates preferably being in variable connection with the supporting ring.

The accompanying drawings diagrammatically represent a form of execution of the connection according to the invention of the electrode with the supporting ring. FIGURE 1 shows a side view of the connection, FIG- URE la shows a top view of the connection, and FIG- URE 2 represents the arrangement of the supporting ring with the electrode on the lifting and supporting means.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1, a supporting ring 2 composed, for example, of four sections and having a U-shaped cross-cut encircles cylindrical electrode 1, the individual sections of the supporting ring being connected with one another in detachable manner by means of screws 3.

The tensional connection between electrode 1 and supporting ring 2 is brought about by inserted cotters 4 and 5 uniformly distributed either individually or in groups on the circumference of ring slot '9 situated between the inside opening of supporting ring 2 and electrode 1.

Ring slot 9 is so dimensioned that cotters 4 and 5 can be reliably inserted, adjusted and held even with the largest possible deviations from the actual values of the electrode diameter, the cross-sectional shape of the electrode and the eccentricity of the nipples required for joining the individual electrode lengths. Since the individual cotters are independent of one another, they can be adjusted individually to the conditions of the specific fastening points.

Cotters 4 inserted from above into ring slot 9 between electrode 1 and the working surfaces of supporting ring Z-transfer the weight of the suspended electrode 1 to the supporting ring 2, whereas cotters 5 inserted from below between electrode 1 and the working surfaces of supporting ring 2 transmit from said supporting ring 2 to the electrode 1 the force produced, on lowering the electrode 1 with mechanical power, by the lifting and supporting means and acting on supporting ring 2.

Cotters 4 and 5 are adjusted individually by known means (clamping tools) and held in their respective positions. FIGURE 1 illustrates by the way of example how cotter 4 is held by a fishplate 6 that presses on its broader end. The fishplate 6 itself is in variable connection with the upper flange of supporting ring 2 by means of thumb screw 7 and tractor screw 8. Cotters 5 may be fastened in analogous manner.

FIGURE 2 shows a side elevation of the whole device for holding and moving forward pre-burnt and untreated electrodes.

Numeral 10 represents a stationary support, for ex- 70 current supply plates.

The locking device may have a different structure. Part 16 in FIGURE 2 represents a ring which encircles loosely electrode 1 serving for fastening electrical equipment: Part 16 is suspended on yoke 12 together with the protective shell 17 of the electrode and the current supply plates 18 installed in the latter.

The device according to the invention appears suitable to open up new fields of application for the use of preburnt electrodes which have not been treated and are thus less expensive. a

We claim:

1. A device for holding and moving forward pre-burned, untreated electrodes in' electric furnaces comprising a supporting ring composed of several sections detachably fixed together which ring rests on brackets of a lifting and supporting meansand tensionally holds the electrode, cotters which ensure the tensional connection between the electrode and the supporting ring, one set of cotters transferring the weight of the electrode to the supporting ring and a second set of cotters, arranged in opposed position to the firstone transmitting opposed forces from the supporting ring to the electrodes.

2. A device for holding and moving forward a preburned electrode in electricfurnaces comprising a supporting ring composed of several sections detachably connected together, a lifting and supporting means for the electrode, brackets on said lifting and supporting means, said supporting ring resting upon said brackets, a first set of .cotters arranged between the supporting ring and the electrode which transmits the weight of the electrode to the supporting ring, and a second set of cotters arranged between the supporting ring and the electrode in opposed position to the first set of cotters which transfers opposed forces from the supporting ring to the electrode.

3. A device for holding and moving forward a preburned electrode in electric furnaces comprising a supporting ring composed of several sections detachably connected together, a lifting and supporting means for the electrode, brackets on said lifting and supporting means,

said supporting ring resting upon said brackets, a first set of cotters arranged between the supporting ring and the' electrode which transmits the weights of the electrode to the supporting ring, a second set of'cotters arranged hetween the supporting ring and the electrode in opposed position to the first set of cotters which transfersopposed forces from the supporting ring to the electrode,"and

' means for adjusting and fixingeach cotter in position with respect to the supporting ring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

